


Kiss From A Rose

by diaphanous87



Series: The Many Ships of Tilly [24]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Bad Ending, Black Rose bad ending, F/M, Female Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Gen, Mild Blood, Miqo'te Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Named Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Patch 5.0: Shadowbringers Spoilers, let's write some sad!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:53:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25629262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diaphanous87/pseuds/diaphanous87
Summary: Tilly would rather there be no one to see her final moments. But an old friend had other plans.
Relationships: implied Estinien Wyrmblood/Warrior of Light
Series: The Many Ships of Tilly [24]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1536589
Comments: 6
Kudos: 28





	Kiss From A Rose

**Author's Note:**

> AAAAAAAAA!!!

* * *

**Kiss From A Rose**

* * *

There could be no witnesses for this. Not for her end. She couldn’t bear the thought of the remainder of her friends watching her take her last breaths. Tilly leaned against a tree. She coughed but no blood came. At least this time. Mustering herself, the miqo’te lurched upright once more. Each step was a struggle but took them she did.

There, the rock tunnel that led to where she first met Estinien at the behest of Alberic so many years ago...

Relieved, Tilly stepped over a frozen desiccated Ixali corpse. Another victim of Black Rose. But she could not focus on grieving for a once enemy. The time when her greatest worry was a Primal like Garuda was long over. Blinking as she exited the tunnel, she found the spot where Estinien’s campfire once was. Tilly fell to her knees and dug out the shallow snow to find the ring of stones. She took the small bundle of wood from her back to arrange them. With a shaky hand, Tilly made a small campfire.

A meagre blaze came to life. Tilly, satisfied that the aether here wasn’t completely gone yet, squatted by the fire. Her arms were wrapped around her knees, her chin resting on top of them. She listlessly flicked her ears and tail. A cough racked her body and she pressed her mouth to her bicep. She took a rattling breath. She felt so raw, like a jar of jam scrapped clean.

The wind howled but the stone half surrounding the meagre campsite shielded the miqo’te from the brunt of it. But the crunch of snow beneath a foot alerted her. One ear swiveled to point in the direction it came from. But she didn’t turn her head.

It would seem there would be one witness after all.

“You used to be much better at covering your tracks,” a familiar voice rasped. A lanky body squatted down on the opposite side of the fire. A lance was stabbed into the ground beneath the snow.

Tilly didn’t look up from the small flames. “Estinien...” she murmured. “Go away.”

The former Azure Dragoon harrumphed. “In my darkest hours,” Estinien said, “you came for me. You and Alphinaud. Did you really think I would leave you alone in yours?”

“Alphinaud is dead.”

“Aye, and soon you and I will join him in Halone’s Halls.”

“What?” Startled, Tilly’s gaze shot up. She swallowed back her horror. Estinien’s face had always been thin with high cheekbones but now he looked gaunt. Wrung out. And his hair, once past his shoulders, was shorn closer to his skull save for his bangs. But his scowl was the same and even if the bags under his eyes were heavier, his gaze was mostly clear. “Estinien, no.” Tilly fought back tears.

“It is no use denying it.” Estinien’s lips curled into a reluctant smile. “It was only a matter of time.” He stood and came around the fire. The elezen sat cross-legged on the ground. He didn’t even have armor on, just a thick woolen tunic and simple breeches tucked into his boots. But he clearly had the strength to haul her into his lap. Tilly didn’t fight it. Tucking her close, Estinien wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her head between her drooping ears. Her fingers dug into the wool covering his forearms. Her tail curled around her, the tip in her lap.

Shuddery breaths synced as they fell into silence save for the crackle of the campfire. Even the wind had died down. But Tilly’s breath began to slow and it took more effort to breathe in. She was close. And then a coughing session erupted from her throat. She gasped and coughed and coughed. Blood splattered on her own tunic, her hands, and his sleeves. Tilly sobbed a small animal sound.

Estinien tightened his hold on her as she weakly writhed. He squeezed his gray eyes shut, a tear escaping the corner of one. His little dragoon partner, his miqo’te, his beloved. Burying his nose in her soft hair, he waited. He waited until she stopped moving, her lifeless body slumping against him.

And Estinien held her until he too took his last breath.

Black Rose had won again.

* * *

**END**

**Author's Note:**

> *holds out tissue box* Take one if you need it. B/c I did and I wrote the damn thing.


End file.
